30% of aesthetic medicine clinics close down in 2 yrs.

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- About 30 percent of the new aesthetic medicine clinics were closed down within two years due to a furious price war and constant medical disputes, the Chinese Society of Cosmetic Surgery and Anti-Aging Medicine (CSCSM) announced yesterday.

Since its establishment 20 years ago, the CSCSM reviews the current situation and development of Taiwan's cosmetic surgery industry, especially the development of aesthetic medicine clinics in recent years.

Dermatologist Sung Feng-yi (宋奉宜) said that opening an aesthetic medicine clinic requires at least NT$10 million to cover a renovation of the premises and the purchasing of all medical equipment.

"However, even if the clinic owner spends extra on promoting the clinic, most of the clinics cannot survive for more than two years," said Sung.

According to Sung, the operation of new aesthetic medicine clinics is getting more difficult as a result of competitive pricing and commercials on TV.

"Some aesthetic medicine clinics even hired inexperienced doctors who recently graduated from medical schools, which caused medical disputes and decreased the degree of confidence the public has in the industry," said Sung.

According to Sung, the price war might affect the safety and effectiveness of aesthetic medicine treatments resulting from the purchase of low-priced medical equipment, lack of equipment maintenance and practices such as diluting medicine.

Lee Lin-shen of the CSCSM said that the price war among aesthetic medicine clinics was not a good thing for the doctors and people who want to try cosmetic surgery.

Lee said that the price war is usually the main cause behind many medical disputes.

Tsai Yu-cheng, the director of the CSCSM, added that much of the information available on the Internet is misleading for customers.

According to Tsai, the aesthetic medicine industry is not a highly profitable industry now, but many investors are still attracted to investing in opening up new aesthetic medicine clinics, which results in the uneven quality of medical treatment.

Tsai suggested that an education platform should be available for professional personnel and can also be spread to the public.

"Bringing back the medical specialty is the only way to ensure that the public receives proper medical treatments," said Tsai.